Tuolumne County Fishing Reports

The kokanee bite at Melones is still firing, with quick limits coming primarily from the main lake. Similar to our last report, 40 to 70 feet is where they're at, but when boat traffic picks up, they are sliding deeper and stacking along the channel edges. Bladed setups pulled behind gold dodgers are the go-to right now.

Bass action is picking up across the lake with a good topwater window early. Crankbaits, jigs, and drop-shot plastics are all in play, but white and chartreuse chatterbaits have been extremely hot lately for quality fish in the 3-4 pound range. The Angels Creek zone has been very productive.

The king salmon bite is in a good groove... most fish running 14–17 inches with a few topping 20. Best depth has been around 75 feet, with chrome, red, and chartreuse spoons doing the work. Mornings and evenings are the prime windows, and the bite has been reliable in short bursts. Rainbows are mixed in, and kokanee are starting to show with some quality fish to 2 pounds hitting higher in the column around 55 feet.

Bass are active, especially early on flukes and topwater. Once the sun’s up, Keitechs off points and T-rigged craws in the brush are getting bit. Most fish are small, but there’s a steady trickle of 3-pounders. Focus on bluff walls and deeper structure as the day goes on.